New Season, New Tires, New Thread

[BigHerm]

Sounds like you were installing Trail/Endurance Contis.

I have installed Enduro and DH Contis on Spank 359 and DH only on I9 Enduro and DT 541. Those were hard to install.

For comparison, I can install a Maxxis DD on 359s w/o tire levers. Unpossible with Enduro and DH Contis.

[rpearce1475]

DH casing contis were the most difficult tires I've ever installed, and I've tried a lot of tires

[Huskier]

Well shoot now I feel like I need to pick up a DH Kryptotal rear just for the challenge.

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[toast2266]

Installed a bunch of the original Intense DH tires on doublewides with extra thick DH tubes back in the day. Everything since then is pretty easy.

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[El Chupacabra]

I have a set of Bontrager Kovee carbon wheels, and they are the hardest rims I have ever struggled with for mounting or dismounting tires. They have Bontrager integrated tubeless strips / valves, which may be the reason. I should just pull those out and use regular tape...

[stuckathuntermtn]

Initial impressions of Vitoria Mazza and Martello combo. Just mounted them up. They are smaller than advertised. The 2.35 is 2.3 and the casing and side knobs are way narrower than the e13 semislick. The 2.6 Mazza is about the same size as the e13 AT 2.4. it might be a little taller and rounder. 2.5 tops. Didn't feel draggy on pavement, so that's nice?
Very disappointed. Really wish e13 made the AT in a 2.6.
They mounted up more easily than the E13s and the bead popped in with just a floor pump. Measurements are with a 29mm ID Bontrager carbon rim. Gonna leave them aired up at high psi overnight. Maybe they'll stretch. Oh, and the gray only kinda matches my bike. Pics attached. Scuse the mess.

[rpearce1475]

I've tried Vittoria tires a few times and have only ever been happy with the Mezcals. Every Mazza, Martello, and Agarro I've used has been undersized, overweight, and has worn out crazy fast (like side knobs undercutting after 2-3 rides)

[stuckathuntermtn]

I've tried Vittoria tires a few times and have only ever been happy with the Mezcals. Every Mazza, Martello, and Agarro I've used has been undersized, overweight, and has worn out crazy fast (like side knobs undercutting after 2-3 rides)

Might have to spring for the Schwalbes next summer.

[SchralphMacchio]

Curious what is appealing about a 2.6 on a 29mm rim for you? Just to take the edge off rubble?

Years ago I tried running a Spesh 2.6 on a similarly sized rim and it just felt too balloony. I also learned from that experience that I don’t like how largely mismatched front and rear tire widths corner. Anyways I’m thinking that on that sized rim, having it come up a little more narrow than 2.6 might actually be a good thing. Seems like on a 35mm rim that tire would fill out to 2.6?


Also interesting to hear the life complaint about the Mazza - I got a 2.4 trail Mazza in 2020 that way way way outlasted a 3CMT EXO DHF. Haven’t used one since though.

[J. Barron DeJong]

Also interesting to hear the life complaint about the Mazza - I got a 2.4 trail Mazza in 2020 that way way way outlasted a 3CMT EXO DHF. Haven’t used one since though.

Similar experience here. No undercutting, and longer life than Maxxis 3CMT.

[joetron]

Breaking: Local Maxxis tire fetishist has been aroused by new Conti rubber.

Been riding 2.4 Kryptotal Front and Xynotol (rear) for the past few weeks on my new Rascal v2, and results are very promising.
Soft compound/Enduro casing on both.
Krypto front is best described as a nice blend of DHF and Assegai. Lots of grip like Assy, but still has a consistent channel like DHF for setting the side knob edge. Channel is narrower, so drift point is smaller, but still there enough to break loose and snap off a turn.
Xynotol has been sweet for Durango in-town stuff with lots of hard pack, rock and dust. I’d imagine it’ll do fine up high as well, but I’ll probably throw on a Krypto Rear for a little more grip in loose/wet stuff.
Would recommend.


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[stuckathuntermtn]

I wanted the 2.6 because I basically wanted what the 2.4 e13 AT is, but with a rounder profile. Well, I got the rounder profile. Yes, rubble on moto trails too.
Preliminary review after first ride:
Fast and grippy. Kinda weird having what looks like less tire up front. I can give more details when I sit at the computer and get some rest and get the pup her walk.

[Huskier]

Just suffered my first catastrophic Dissector side lug failure. Daylight to the rim. Happened on terrain I Don't typically ride (Tahoe shale-y tech). Regular EXO casing. I'm wondering if going EXO+ would reduce the risk of another side knob failing or if I should move on to a different tire like the High Roller or Aggressor. Looking for easier rolling than a DHR

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[SchralphMacchio]

DD Dissector?

Again with my love/hate relationship with the Dissector. I haven’t yet used a DD version though. Though my good friend who doesn’t ride all that hard destroyed a not that old DD Dissector (under a Trail 429!) somewhere in NorCal. He’s now riding on a cheap Forte Pisgah2 I gave him as a spare and he’s not complaining about it at all.

So probably save yourself the agony and go Enduro Xynotal.

[Abies]

Free yourself and embrace the Big S options imo. Rear ground control is lasting forever for me. Dissector was awesome for 6 rides until knobs started shearing. Don’t see how changing the casing would help. Mine was exo plus, new version.


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[carlh]

Eliminator feels like a burlier dissector to me, currently have a t7 grid trail with tannus on the back of the big bike. A little slower than the exo dissector on the back of the hardtail but for sure more support. Grid trail plus insert feels good for Washington but I would go grid gravity for anyplace with sharper rocks.

[toast2266]

^^^ yup. T7/T9 grid gravity eliminator is my go to rear tire as a rough approximation of a DD maxterra dissector.

Dissector is a smidge faster, but eliminator lasts way longer and is cheaper.

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[SchralphMacchio]

I’ve heard that so many times and it always surprises me because the tread patterns are so different. You guys know I love me some Big S tires though, so I’ll put them on the list if I can’t find an acceptable price for Xynotals.

One of you guys mind measuring the lug depth on an Eliminator if you have a caliper handy one of these days? Or if you happen to have calipers out to see how much travel you’ve used [emoji12]

[stuckathuntermtn]

I never real fleshed out the review and I haven't been riding, but I'd compare the 2.6 Mazza and 2.35 Martello combo to a 2.5 DHF and 2.3 Aggressor combo which I passed on at the time. I'd give the Vitoria combo the nod for vibration reduction and speed. (I think I got less hand numbness than previous tire combo. Diety stem and RF Next 35 785 bars are a stiff combo) Grip is probably about the same to even slightly better for Vittoria. Martello is probably a bit bigger than Aggressor in both casing and width across the knobs, but might actually be faster. Obviously , it does better on steep spots with loose stuff on them than a semislick. Mazza might actually be too round for me? It doesn't feel as locked in, but may be I was in the transition area. It didn't seem like there was much of one, and once I realized it held on, I was more confident in pushing the bike over. It may just be in my head since the casing is so much smaller than the e13 AT 2.4 that was on there. Next ride, I will probably try a couple less PSI.
As far as the sidewalls: I'd say they're maybe a touch more than the e13 trail, which is a touch more than exo, or at least doesn't weep like exo. Maybe that's why they feel a little less chattery, idk. I think I did feel some drag from up front, but not enough for it too bother me.
Conditions ridden in: dry hardpack, loose over hard, forest road over hard, moto rubble and sand/gravel over hard and more hard over hard. Hayes Point at Blue Mountain for those familiar with Missoula. There are actual rocks on that trail and they didn't seem to do anything to the tires.
Rider: 200lbs, I ride good sometimes. Back problems cause issues with stamina and having a puppy I have to put in a crate when I'm gone and isn't big enough to take with me yet cause issues with finding motivation to go ride by myself and not just snuggle my puppy. Also, it rains sometimes.
Great tire combo if you don't mind that it doesn't actually measure what it says it is and you're not after big casing volume.
Next time I might have to spring for Magic Mary and Nobby Nick. Again, has anyone done the Big Betty as a front tire?

[toast2266]

I’ve heard that so many times and it always surprises me because the tread patterns are so different. You guys know I love me some Big S tires though, so I’ll put them on the list if I can’t find an acceptable price for Xynotals.

One of you guys mind measuring the lug depth on an Eliminator if you have a caliper handy one of these days? Or if you happen to have calipers out to see how much travel you’ve used [emoji12]

According to my calipers on used but still mostly there tires:

2.4" Dissector: 4mm-ish center tread depth. 5.1mm side knob depth (measured on inside edge of knobs). Knobs and casing both about 58mm wide on a 30mm rim.

2.3" Eliminator: 4mm-ish center tread depth. 6mm side knob depth. 60.5mm casing, 61mm knob width (30mm rim).

They're pretty similar. They're both an alternating 2 block / 3 block pattern. The 3 block part of the eliminator is a little more space out, but the channel between center and side knobs is similar on both tires. The center knobs on the dissector have a little more ramp, but not by much. Both tires have the side knobs aligned with the gaps in the center knobs.

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[SchralphMacchio]

That sounds pretty awesome. I still have an old Mazza and a lightly used Pisgah2 as front and rear spares, but when a Dissector dies I’ll get an Elminator Grid Trail as a spare.

[SchralphMacchio]

With the Eliminator being 2/2/3 and spaced out a little more I was worried it would be slower and less drifty than the Dissector. Then again it won’t bulge out / wobble, and the knobs won’t self destruct after locking brakes on coarse soil.

[toast2266]

I'd rate them as similarly drifty. Dissector might be a smidge faster, but they're certainly in the same neighborhood as far as rolling speed. I'm also not sure I've ridden a doubledown dissector, which would really be the apples to apples comparison with the grid gravity eliminator.

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[Meconium]

So, I have a High Roller II that I removed awhile ago from a bike that came with it on the rear. Almost new, just ditched it because it was so slow and crazy on the tarmac when riding to trails. Can anyone compare it to a DHF as a front tire or whatever. Thinking of slapping it on the front because I need a replacement and have to many spares laying around to justify buying more rubber.

[El Chupacabra]

I like the HR II as a front tire - has some similar feel to the Minions, definitely same side knob undercutting issues. IIRC lighter than the Minions.

If I had an endless supply of tires and someone else doing the installation and sealant work, I'd happily ride a combo of front HR II and rear Dissector. And have them replaced every other week so they'd always be fresh.